Acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, on Tuesday, flagged-off a special operation code-named Operation RP to stabilize the security situation in the Southeastern flank of the country, which had recently become a hotbed attacks on police personnel, formations and other national assets.
The special operation which was launched at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, was part of efforts targeted at returning peace to the region hitherto known to be peaceful, tolerant, innovative, industrious and entrepreneurial, according to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba.
“The special operation has become necessary to engender all-inclusive security actions to roll-back the murderous attacks, violence, proliferation of weapons and other threats to law and order occasioned by the separatist agenda being heightened by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the South-East region”, the IGP noted.
Mba said the IGP observed that activities of the group in the region had assumed an armed dimension in which important political and community leaders as well as personnel and assets of the Nigeria Police, Military and other security agencies, critical national infrastructure are being constantly targeted in clearly well-coordinated, premeditated manners. in addition to deepening inter-ethnic prejudice and intolerance, unjustifiable inter-ethnic violence and counter-violence, loss of lives and massive destruction of properties.
While appreciating the individual and collective efforts of all the South-East Governors and other critical stakeholders in the region towards supporting the Police in restoring security and strengthening national unity, the IGP assured the nation that in the coming days, the special operation will be extended to other parts of the South-East region to confront criminal elements, take the battle to their doorsteps and re-order our cherished national values in the region.
He noted that the “Operation RP” will be replicated in other parts of the country, to address peculiar crimes including banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, amongst others.
“The ‘Operation’ will be carried out by operatives of the Force in collaboration with the Armed Forces, the intelligence community and other sister security agencies. The personnel deployed have been charged to be civil with the law-abiding citizens, but firm and ruthless with criminal elements operating under any guise whatsoever who may attempt to test the collective will of the people”, Mba said.
The IGP thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the special operation and providing the support needed to fully achieve its objectives, while soliciting the support of the civil populace, particularly, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth associations, market bodies, cultural associations and professionals etc, expressing his belief that with the support of all strategic stakeholders, the operation will in due course, change the current security narratives in the South-Eastern region for good.
In his remarks, Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, commended the IGP for initiating the special operation which he described as timely, expressing hope that it would help in rejigging and re-tooling the security architecture of the South-East.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Governors of Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States, traditional rulers and religious leaders, amongst others.
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